A man crashed his car into a London police station, then tried to set the vehicle on fire. After the car hit the station doors, he splashed petrol on the road then set it alight. The liquid caught fire but it did not spread to the car, which had partly broken through the police station doors. Police in Edmonton Green, North London, confirmed that a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of arson and other offences. Europe has been hit with a spate of terrorist attacks, notably in France and Austria, and this month the UK raised its terrorism threat level to severe, meaning an attack is considered to be highly likely. There were no reported injuries but fire crews were called to the station, which was evacuated and cordoned off by police on Wednesday evening. Witnesses said they feared the driver was going to set fire to his vehicle after it hit the station. "He was insisting on trying to get inside but the glass door wouldn't break any more so he couldn't get any closer," Serife Mazlum said. "Then he casually got out of the car with a tank of petrol. He poured it down from the car into the middle of the road and then he just set it on fire." Ms Mazlum said a man forced the driver to the ground before police arrived. Peter Allimadi, 30, from Edmonton, told the BBC: "I came out of the Lidl to see what the commotion was about – police screaming instructions to citizens to back away, some scared shoppers, commuters and parents running from the scene." Police said that the car was still at the scene being examined by specialist officers. Kate Osamor, the local MP, said on Twitter: "A major incident has been declared at Edmonton Green police station. Please stay safe if you're in the area." London's Metropolitan Police said the incident was a local investigation being supported by counter-terrorism police. This gallery shows stills from the aftermath of the incident.
